to mark paddington central’s first year as a design route at the london design festival, british land is celebrating the arrival of the innovative and thought-provoking snøhetta book pavilion.

snøhetta are a pioneering architectural and design firm based in oslo and new york with high-profile buildings including the alexandria library in egypt and the only cultural building on the world trade center memorial site. for this special project, snøhetta were inspired to create a contemporary visual form which adhered to the traditional principles of a library; snøhetta then created a mechanical, rotating pavilion of oversized books that flip to create a variety of spaces, ranging from quiet and reflective to extrovert and public. the spaces allow visitors to immerse themselves into a world of books when standing inside the structure.

located in kingdom street, the installation highlights british land’s commitment to creating places people prefer. delivering spaces that make a positive difference to people’s lives is integral to british land’s design ethos, as is its dedication to creating environments where people can work, relax and socialise. equally, snøhetta’s work also strives to enhance a sense of place, identity and relationship to others and the physical spaces we inhabit
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all visitors to the snøhetta book pavilion are encouraged to explore, interact and reflect on the build and revel in an installation that has been built with a very specific purpose in mind. it’s an essential stop on this year’s design route.